Web Content Viewer (JSR 286)

Web Content Viewer (JSR 286)

U.S. Codex News—Friday, June 14, 2013

Recent Outreach Events

Coordinating Committee on Asia (CCASIA): The U.S. Codex Office and the Foreign Agricultural Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sponsored the third Codex SPS workshop with Codex members from the Asian region in Manila, Philippines, on June 4-6. Delegates from the United States and several Asian nations exchanged views on issues that will be addressed at the upcoming Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and the Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF). The outreach was attended by representatives from the Philippines, Thailand, People’s Republic of China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Laos, and Cambodia. The thorough technical discussions between delegates from these countries and their U.S. counterparts will enable the upcoming sessions of the Commission and the Committee to proceed more efficiently and effectively, and build the peer relationships that are the foundation of international cooperation and consensus.

Upcoming Public Meeting

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) The USDA U.S. Codex Office is conducting a public meeting to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the upcoming 36th Session of the CAC (July 1-5, 2013, in Rome, Italy). The public meeting is scheduled for June 18, 2013, from 1-4 p.m. at the USDA Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave., Room 107-A, Washington, D.C. 20250. For individuals who would like to participate by telephone, please use the following Call-in Number: 1-888-858-2144; Participant Code: 6208658. Documents and agenda items related to the 36thSession will be accessible at the Codex website at: www.codexalimentarius.org.

New Electronic Working Groups (eWG)

Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) At its last Session, the Committee agreed to establish an eWG, led by led by the United States of America, working in English only, on theGeneral Standard for Food Additives (GSFA)with the following mandate:

to prepare recommendations for the entry in the GSFA of proposals for new food additive provisions in food category 16.0 (Prepared foods);

to prepare recommendations for the entry in the GSFA of new proposals and revision of existing provisions, contained in CX/FA 13/45/12 and in FA 45/CRDs 6 and 12 (except for provisions in food category 14.2.3 (Grape wines) and its sub-categories, and provisions for aspartame (INS 951) and aspartame-acesulfame salts (INS 962));

to prepare proposals for the provisions in Table 1 and 2 of the GSFA of Table 3 food additives with “acidity regulator” function, which were held at the 45th Session, for their use for technological function other than as acidity regulators; and

to prepare proposals for consideration of the provisions in Table 1 and 2 of Table 3 food additives with functions other than “emulsifier, thickener, stabilizer,” “colour,” and “sweetener.”

Interested Member Countries and observer organizations should provide the names, affiliations, email addresses and telephone numbers of their official designated representatives to: Dr. Susan Carberry (ccfa@fda.hhs.gov) by June 20, 2013, or soon thereafter. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) as soon as possible.

Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses(CCNFSDU): At its last Session, the Committee agreed to establish an eWG, chaired by India and co-chaired by Botswana, working in English, to revise the Proposed Draft Standard for Processed Cereal Based Foods for Infants and Young Children,to include a new Part B for underweight children. Interested Member Countries and observer organizations should provide the names, affiliations, email addresses and telephone numbers of their official designated representatives to: Dr. J.H. Panwal (jtafnb-wcd@nic.in), Ms. Anita Makhijani (ccnfsduindia@gmail.com) with a copy tocodex-india@nic.in, as well as to htarimo@gov.bw and jwsibiya@gmail.com by June 21, 2013. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) by June 19, 2013.

Committee on Contaminants in Foods (CCCF)

Methylmercury in Fish: At its last Session, the Committee agreed to re-establish the eWG, led by Japan and co-chaired by Norway, and working in English, to review the guideline levels (GLs) for methylmercury in fish. Specifically, the eWG will:

collect data on total mercury and methylmercury in fish species important in international trade; and

explore the possibility of revising the GLs or their conversion to maximum levels (MLs) and to identify the fish for which the level(s) could apply.

Interested Member Countries and observer organizations should provide the names, affiliations, email addresses and telephone numbers of their official designated representatives to: Mr. Haruo Tominaga (haruo_tominaga@nm.maff.go.jp), with copy to the Japanese Codex Contact Point (codex_maff@nm.maff.go.jp), and to Mr. Anders Tharaldsen

Arsenic in Rice: At its last Session, the Committee agreed to re-establish the eWG, led by China and co-chaired by Japan, working in English only, to further develop a discussion paper on a Code of Practice (COP) for preventing and reducing arsenic in rice. The eWG is tasked with the following:

to look into management practices identified in the discussion paper (CX/CF 13/7/14) presented at the recent session to determine which risk management measures were readily available;

to prepare another discussion paper on proposals for maximum levels for inorganic arsenic in rice and rice products; and

to submit relevant data, including data on indica rice, especially from rice-producing countries.

Interested Member Countries and observer organizations should provide the names, affiliations, email addresses and telephone numbers of their official designated representatives to wuyongning@cfsa.net.cn and JPPSDCCCF@nm.maff.go.jp by June 30, 2013. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) by June 24, 2013.

Coordinating Committee on Africa (CCAFRICA): At its last Session, the Committee agreed to establish an eWG, led by Botswana and Côte d’Ivoire, open to all members of the Region and Observers, working in English and French, to identify and rank African regional food products suitable for a Codex Standard, either regional or international. Interested Member Countries and observer organizations should provide the names, affiliations, email addresses and telephone numbers of their official designated representatives to: kseipone@gov.bw, htarimo@gov.bw, narcehoussou@yahoo.fr, and codexalimentariusci@yahoo.fr by July 31, 2013. Parties in the United States interested in contributing to the U.S. participation in the eWG should contact the U.S. Codex Office (uscodex@fsis.usda.gov) by July 22, 2013.